What are /r/LivingAlone's favorite Products & Services?

From 3.5 billion Reddit comments

hey, i know your struggles. here's something that works for me:

1. find a place to get spices and herbs, these make your meals 10x better
2. look if stores near you have these pre-mixed spice packs for certain dishes (like these) - very recommend. usually there is a recipe for that dish right on a package and these are hard to mess up.
3. baked potato: heat oven to 170 celsius (330F), take 1kg (2.2 pounds) of potatoes, peel, cut to whatever shape you like (i do them like thick fries), put into bowl you can close. next take some spices to your liking (2-3 tablespoons when mixed), combine with 2 table spoons of oil (sunflower seed is good but olive is much better), mix. pour spice mix in potato bowl, close it up, shake until spice mix covers all of the potatoes. put bowl contains onto baking tray, spread somewhat evenly, put into oven for 35-40 minutes. these amounts last me 2 days (used as lunch and dinner), feel free to play with spices, or maybe cover the pan with foil if you feel like potatoes get a bit dry.
4. simple salad: cucumber, tomato, small onion. cut to whatever shape or size, season, dress with oil.
5. stir fry was recommended in one of comments, i did follow Alex French Guy Cooking series on stir fry and had pretty good results adapting it to my kitchen.

apparently my other salad recipes are too location-specific and i couldn't find anything that fits in international stores. also i'll update if something comes across my head

I bought this stuff off Amazon after a friend mentioned it helped him: Zhou Drift Off Premium Sleep Aid with Valerian Root, Melatonin, GABA & Tryptophan

I usually take it around bed time if I've been having trouble falling asleep or I can just tell i'm wired and won't shut down. Lately I've either been relistening to podcast episodes or the youtube channel nemos dreamscapes

Yeah, I'm 31 (male) and I've lived alone for a couple of years. I'm so used to being alone (and I was single with roommates for 7 years) that if I moved in with a partner, it would probably be a big shock to me. I love the fact that I can do what I want and I never have to consider anyone else. It does get lonely sometimes though but I think it helps to keep busy.

I found Meetup.com to be helpful because I moved to a new city 9 years ago and don't have any family or school/college friends here.

I even tried joining a church a few years ago (not religious). I don't go anymore but I did experience a sense of community that I've never really seen anywhere else. But I decided it wasn't worth going if I didn't share the Christian beliefs.

I would love it if I had family nearby but either my parents would have to move here (which won't happen) or I would have to move back (which probably won't happen anytime soon either because there's not much work there).

Wow...you are getting some great advice!

Please run through the archive of this group, there is a lot more great advice to be had.

When you need something, anything, research it, and figure out what the new retail cost is, and then check out the other options. I rarely if ever buy anything brand new, usually only when I can't find it used and if the financial difference is minimal.

Learn how to repair as many things as possible. I fixed my toaster just by examining it and figuring out that the insulation had become bent, causing the heating element to touch the casing.... saved $25 bucks using a chop stick. I am a 'fixer' by nature, but right now i have my boots getting and sewing machine getting repaired because they were outside of my skillset.

Don't buy things unless it costs you not to have them. If you can get away with borrowing something like a saw or sewing machine or anything you will only need for a limited time, then don't buy it. Nextdoor.com can hook you up with your community, if you need to borrow something. I no longer have a color printer because I print so few things in color, it's cheaper to print it at Fedex Office than have my own.

This is what’s worked for me. I also have the citizen app which lets me know if there are any crimes in my area.

Portable Door Lock Home Security Door Locker Travel Lockdown Locks for Additional Safety and Privacy Perfect for Traveling Hotel Home Apartment College

I also have seasonal depression and here’s what helps me: definitely start taking Vitamin D supplements now and start using a light box (something like this). As another person mentioned, exercise helps immensely and I would highly recommend seeing a therapist.

The best medicine for POST breakup is other people, IN REAL LIFE, not just podcasts. You HAVE to get out of the house.

What I found didn't work was A dating...and B Bars... that just made me more depressed.

But I did find that places that had Trivia Nights and Comedy Nights were less depressing, and YES trying an open mic comedy night is worth doing.. get up and tell 2-3 jokes. The least it will do for you is give you something to say 'yup i tried that'

Go to the Movies....as often as you can.

Check out every Cork bulletin board for events - at the library, grocery store etc.. people still announce hyper local events this way. Of course there is also Meetup, NextDoor.com, Craigslist and even Facebook GROUPS that will announce local events. I started going to a knitting group a year before it broke up, but i am still tight with a couple of people I met there. Same thing with a hiking group from meetup, the group is no more, but I made two great friends.

Check in with the local comic book or gaming store or bookstores, they will also post up about local events. Especially groups that meet IN those stores. I remember trying to track down board gaming groups, which scratched my itch for nerdy stuff and gave me human contact IRL, but it was an hour drive to the nearest group, which broke my heart. ASK THEM if you can START a group, that is usually the only thing they want, SOMEONE else to be the ring leader.

Libraries have LOTS of events going on, so check the web page for your local and branches, if you don't see something nerdy, ASK, they may be looking to start a nerdy bookgroup. I would join more book clubs if they read SCI FI TECH novels.

https://www.amazon.com/DuomiW-Drawstring-Factories-Apartment-Dwellers/dp/B07K6D3TY2/ref=sr_1_9?crid=DU1AQRIWPH21&dchild=1&keywords=mesh+laundry+bag&qid=1607656941&sprefix=mesh+laundr%2Caps%2C199&sr=8-9

I had something very similar to these. Works wonders instead of baskets, though they aren't very good at holding folded clothes.

Veggie/Fruit preserving bags are magical! My sister got me a pack, & they keep my fresh veggies & fruits so much longer that I waste a lot less. These are the ones I have: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00I4V1U06/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_CUCwFbK047Q88

I've been living alone for almost 3 years after being coupled pretty much from 20-45 and never living alone in my life.

https://www.amazon.com/Living-Alone-Loving-Barbara-Feldon/dp/0743235177 and the Falk book that's frequently bought together with it, and anything that includes active advice for how to not be drowning in the new normal. We definitely don't get enough about being alone when we are younger, but it's a great skill.

I love living alone but hell yes for owning a pet. Make sure you have food to eat so you eat (frozen dinners for emergencies are the win!), and bath bombs, candles and cuddly blankets. Eat at a table sometimes, set bedtimes and morning alarms during the week. Give yourself a lot of time to decompress and figure out what you want. Get comfortable with being in touch with yourself, you may have a lot to relearn about yourself. You might not need any of that but I think being prepared with self care is better than finding yourself up at 11pm wishing you had Epsom salts! If you will miss touch, set up massages, a haircut, whatever you can in this awkward Covid time.

Also like mentioned elsewhere...company is good. I bough an Echo Dot ASAP and being able to ask for the news and weather every day helped a lot for the first few months, as not always having a human/thing to talk to suddenly being gone was hard, no matter how awkward it was. And it gets easier. If you embrace the space you will know if you want to share it with others again vs rushing into it. (sorry, channeling all my inner hippie tonight!)

I have a good pair of utility scissors hanging in the kitchen which are probably something i use everyday.

Utility scissors are wider and sturdier than paper scissors. I use them for everything from cutting up chickens, to opening packages. I just used them to cut open a big bag of cat food, and cut the elastics on the groceries. I use them for everything, but don't abuse them by cutting wires (done that.)

You can do fine about 20-30 dollars for a 'buy it for life' pair. like Wiss....think TOOL/hardware store not office stationery. I got mine at a flea market or thrift shop i don't remember, the local thrift or pawn shop probably has a basket of scissors someplace. Basically any used old pair that are MARKED with a makers name are fine, not just stamped 'made in china' Bring a used pair them to a sharpener first and then again once year...this costs about $4-$5 dollars to keep this tool sharp and safe. Don't put them in the drawer, hang them up. You may find yourself using them many times a day.
https://www.amazon.com/Wiss-1DSN-Industrial-Shears-Inlaid/dp/B000LDGMPS

I need to buy one for the car.

i gifted myself a REALLY good flashlight last year. but i won't leave that in the car. i put it in my bag in the dark months.

To leave in the car, I will be looking for a Cree, something good yet inexpensive enough to leave in the glove box.